Preface

With one day to spare in January, I am finally making my New Year’s resolution. I waited this long on purpose. For starters I think it is just awful to start anything new on Monday mornings! I don’t know how many times I have vowed to start eating healthier, be more positive, work out more, stand up to people at work (or keep my mouth shut at work!), or spend less time on my smart phone, only to fail by mid-week if not that very same day. And secondly, I read a few years back about Blue Monday and the argument that the last Monday of a full week in January is the most depressing day of the year (calculated by Dr. Cliff Arnall, of the University of Cardiff). Maybe it is the cold, gloomy weather. Maybe resolutions have already been broken or failed. Or it could be the fact that the holidays are over and it is time to go back to work or school…or real life. But I sort of buy into it, hence the waiting an extra week before beginning my project.

I have been thinking about this for a while and finally feel ready to commit. My News Year’s Resolution, and the subject of this blog, is simple; it is to live more simply and to simplify my life over the next year. I long for simplicity. Now, that’s a lofty goal and something I have strived for my entire adulthood. Will this blog really simplify things in just twelve months?  Will I be a better woman in the end? How many ‘experiments’ will it take for me to have less clutter in my house, life, and job? And can this really help me lose those last few pounds of pregnancy weight (eh hem, and the 45lbs of pre-pregnancy weight)? I don’t know. But I’m willing to try. Part of good science is learning what doesn’t work. And part of being a good person, in my opinion, is reflecting on your life and always striving to do and be better. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

So, I plan to conduct at least one, if not two, experiments* a month for twelve months. Some of these experiments will take one day, while others may take several months. I will probably run concurrent experiments of which the final goal is to simplify my life. That means each mini-experiment will be combined for a final analysis. Every experiment will be comprised of the following:

·         An observation;

·         Research of the topic;

·         Formulation of a hypothesis;

·         Experiment;

·         Reporting of the results; and

·         Discussion and conclusion.

So, before I proceed I guess I need to define what it would mean for me to simplify my life. I have too much clutter. Seriously. And that is both figurative and literal!

1.      My husband and I got new jobs in 2009 and doubled our previous salaries. What did we do with that extra income? Well, after finally selling our little house in another state at a huge loss (thanks, housing market bubble), we bought a bigger house and car and even more stuff. I look around our house and start to feel the walls close in. We are not even close to being labeled hoarders, but we are definitely doing our part to spur the economy! Simply put, I would like to have fewer material possessions, save more money, and have a more organized, efficient house.

2.      We spend way too much time with technology: the laptop, iPhones, iPads, Netflix streaming, etc.  The other day as I held my sleeping three month old daughter, I realized I was on my iPhone as was my husband while our three year old son was playing an age-appropriate game on the iPad and my visiting mother-in-law was reading a book on her Kindle. All this occurred in the same room on a nice afternoon. Simply put, I have to spend more quality time (i.e. non-technological) with my family playing outside, reading books, building superhero caves, doing arts and crafts, travelling, going to museums, etc.

3.      My three year old son has started to increasingly ask for more toys whenever we are out or when he sees a commercial (his TV time is limited). He is not appreciative of what he has. And yes I do realize he is three, but I think he’s on a slippery slope. Simply put, it is imperative I help my son learn how to be grateful and to realize that material items aren’t the path to happiness (think I am crazy yet?).

4.       I served a year in AmeriCorps, was the director of an AmeriCorps program for two years and have always been civically engaged. I volunteered for a myriad of organizations and have worked for nonprofits. But that involvement and passion has transitioned into me writing a check, getting into arguments on posts or stories posted to Facebook statuses, or signing an online petition. Simply put, I need to help others more and to be more engaged.  

5.      I used to be so environmentally conscious. I am still a friend of the earth, but have gotten extremely lazy without curb side pickup, recycling centers and access to environmentally friendly stores/groups. Some of this is because we live in an area that isn’t necessarily on the crunchy bandwagon, but it’s mainly my fault. Simply put, I want to reduce my carbon footprint and teach my children what it means to be good stewards.  

6.      On a scale of one to ten, my energy level has barely been above zero the last five years. Granted I have been pregnant four times in that time along with a recurrent illness, but I have gotten used to not feeling well. I will not possibly be able to provide my children the lives they deserve, and the lives I want them to have, if I have no energy. Of course this means I will have to become healthier which will hopefully result in me losing 50lbs. Simply put, I have to become healthier for myself and my family.

7.      I’m pretty hard on myself. And I’m a cynic. Annnnd I can be negative and pessimistic. Oh yeah, and I hold grudges, am a little too sensitive and still cry when in an argument, and can be judgmental.  I’m sounding like a real sweetheart, aren’t I? But I also truly care about people and causes dear to my heart. Simply put, I want to find some sort of peace with myself and life.

The catalyst for yearning for simplicity started after the death of my daughter two years ago (and I will rarely talk about this here as I blog anonymously on the subject elsewhere) and my fear of losing someone else I deeply love. My beautiful girl was born nine weeks early due to a previously undetected heart defect was discovered during a 4D ultrasound. She fought six days and left us January 14, 2010. Since then I have been walking around in a fog. After I was able to (semi) function again without bursting into tears or staring off into space, I started to question my path, reevaluate relationships and question what I once thought was important. Of course I have always felt my family was the most important thing in my life. I also feel that it is our responsibility to be engaged in something bigger than ourselves. That could be politics, spirituality, causes, movements, etc., as long as you aren’t fanatical or hurting anyone. Basically, my daughter made me want to be a better woman for my amazing husband and beautiful son and daughter as well as for society.

Whew!! I promise not to be so winded in the actual experiments! Here. We. Go!

(*A note to real scientist. Cut me a break, will ya? I am a scientist too…okay, a social scientist…but I understand how experiments are conducted. I also understand that the factors involved in my project are completely subjective. How can you measure what it means to simplify one’s life when everyone has different values and beliefs? So let’s just pretend this is based on scientific fact and move forward, shall we?)